Saturday, July 7, 2018

What I Read: June

June was a pretty good reading month, though some of what I read was a bit mediocre. I managed five books, though to be fair two of them were very short and I was already halfway through East of Eden at the beginning of the month. :) As always, click on the titles to read my Goodreads reviews!

East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. This was a book I'd been wanting to read for at least 10 years now, but I'd always found it too intimidating. I'm so glad I finally picked it up! It was depressing and full of unlikable characters, but I was completely drawn in. This is the kind of book that you don't want to put down, and that you constantly think about even when you're not reading it. I can definitely see why it's considered a classic, and I look forward to reading more Steinbeck!Stella by Starlight, by Sharon M. Draper. I wanted so badly to love this book! But unfortunately I didn't. The story felt dull and the ending was anticlimactic, and it felt like the writing was dumbed down for kids. Very disappointing.On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan. Mixed feelings about this book! It was a good book, in its way, but it was awkward and uncomfortable to read, and ultimately depressing. I did really like the writing style though, and I thought the story was told in an interesting way.My Father's Daughter, by Tina Sinatra. Frank Sinatra is one of my favorite singers, and while I knew that his personal life had rough patches...wow. This book was so depressing, mostly due to the fact that apparently his last wife was a horrible person. It was a big mess and Tina really dwells on that here, which took away from the book for me.The Missing Girl, by Shirley Jackson. I'm a fan of Shirley Jackson, but I didn't really feel that the three short stories in this tiny volume are among her best! I guess it would be a decent introduction though, if you'd never read any of her other work (except The Lottery, which most people seem to have read).

{Just realized I used the word "depressing" to describe three of the five books I read this month, ha.}

4 comments:

Hi! Just found your blog! I really like your wood background! I like knitting and crocheting, but if I had to choose, I'd definitely pick crocheting! That is cool that you make soap! My mom and I made goats milk soap and it was sooo much fun! I can't wait to try different colors, scents, and designs! You dye your own yarn, that is really neat! Have you ever dyed with avocados before??Hey, I blog over at Showers of Blessings @ bensshowersofblessings.blogspot.com if you want to go check out my blog! :) Have a great day! -Brooklyne

I've been dying to pick up East of Eden, and you've convinced me to bump it up on the tbr! I'm also eager to read more Shirley Jackson, but since you didn't like the story collection, I'll maybe hold back a bit on that one.

It was really good, in a disturbing way, ha! I look forward to hearing what you think of it. :) It's not that I didn't like these short stories, but I just don't think they're her best! If you want to try a collection of her short stories, I'd recommend "The Lottery and Other Stories." It has a good selection, including some of her most famous ones!